Dear Brother is the story of Thomas, John, and Joseph McGonagle, brothers from Ohio who joined the Union Army during the Civil War. Their story is shared as they discuss life, music, family history, poems, letters, and even quilts on a cold December night in 1862. They are situated near Murfreesboro, Tennessee in anticipation of the Battle of Stones River.

Join Thomas and John, the oldest McGonagle brothers, as they discuss with their younger brother, Joseph, their Scottish ancestry, family stories, and U.S. history. Read letters written in the 1840s by relatives from Ohio and Pennsylvania. Reminisce with the brothers about the music their sister Nancy played on the family piano on their Ohio farm. Find surprises in a letter, written at Fort Kearney, Nebraska during the time of the Oregon and Mormon trails. Discover slang used by soldiers in the 1860s. Enjoy the discussions and thoughts the brothers savor on the eve of one of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War. Amid uncertainty and discomfort, they encourage and tease each other as only brothers can do.